As a lifelong Rockies fan who relocated to Baltimore, I really appreciate your excellent coverage of the Rockies. Keep up the good work. Do you see any prospects outside David Dahl, Raimel Tapia, Brendan Rodgers or Tom Murphy having an impact on the team this year?

— Peter Harris, Baltimore

Peter, thanks for your kind words. I do my best. One player you didn’t mention – I’m sure it was an oversight – is rookie Ryan McMahon. He’s penciled in to be the starting first baseman, but he’s also seeing time at second and third this spring.

As I wrote on Tuesday, McMahon is off to an excellent start this spring and he’s carrying himself with a lot of confidence. The big test, of course, will come when he slumps or struggles. How will he handle that?

A dark-horse candidate to make the 25-man roster is outfielder Michael Tuchman. He possesses excellent power and manager Bud Black mentions him often, and that’s always in the player’s favor.

There are a number of young pitchers who could see major-league action this year. The most intriguing is Yency Almonte, the 23-year-old right-hander who spent last season at Double-A and Triple-A. He was terrific in Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the D-backs, and that left manager Bud Black singing his praises. Indeed, Black was so emphatic with his praise of Almonte, I made it my lead note for the day.

I believe that the Rockies should re-sign both Mark Reynolds and Carlos Gonzalez to incentive-laden, one-year contracts. CarGo found his swing in September and had a monster month. If the Rockies want to contend, they need his bat and leadership. He will have a typical CarGo year. Reynolds needs to be back at first base again and let the rookie McMahon learn. What are your feelings on these players?

— Allan Fredericks, Louisville

Allan, I have mixed emotions.

There are few players I like more than CarGo. And as Nolan Arenado told me recently, he thinks CarGo’s absence leaves a huge void in the clubhouse. Arenado also shares your view that CarGo is ready for a bounce-back season.

I tend to agree with you. I think CarGo has a couple of good seasons left, and from what I’ve been told, he wants to return. I think he could provide some power the Rockies’ offense is missing.

But as I’ve said time and time again, I don’t think it’s going to happen. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, there was an offer for a contract extension on the table last spring and he turned it down. CarGo told me it was a three-year deal, but others have reported it was a four- or five-year deal. I’m not sure what the truth is, or how much money was offered, but CarGo probably made a mistake turning it down. Now he’s in no-man’s land.

I have not talked to CarGo this offseason, but those who know him tell me he wanted a two-year deal. He might not get that now.

What’s fair? Tough question, but a one-year deal for $8 million makes sense to me, and he could be a bargain at that price. We’ll see what happens.

As for Reynolds, he made it clear to me that he wanted to return to Colorado, but he didn’t get the sense the feeling was mutual. I know Reynolds believed his performance last season (30 homers, 97 RBIs) warranted a guaranteed major-league deal.

It certainly looks to me as if the Rockies have moved on and are putting their faith in Ryan McMahon and Ian Desmond at first. If there is an injury, or if it appears McMahon is not ready, the Rockies might call Reynolds, but I don’t see it happening.

An underlying theme here is that general manager Jeff Bridich believes some of the team’s young talent is ready to bloom and paying big money for older veterans doesn’t fit his blueprint. Bridich hasn’t told me that, but that is my sense of things.

Patrick, the Rockies are going to have a lot of decisions to make soon when it comes to their all-star players. Do think the team will finally start talking about long-term contracts with Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu?

GM Jeff Bridich, to his credit, has stayed consistent with his policy and philosophy.

“To engage in some sort of public discourse, or some sort of public negotiations with a player, is not good form, in my opinion,” Bridich told me this winter. “It’s not something that benefits the team and it can cause distractions. It doesn’t benefit the player and I don’t think it benefits the player’s teammates.”

Here is what I know:
• Arenado’s No. 1 priority is playing for a consistent contender, and he is open to staying in Colorado if he sees that happening.
• Blackmon would like to stay, but so far, the Rockies have not approached him about a contract extension. He told me the Rockies could approach him this spring, but he doesn’t know that for sure.
• LeMahieu has not had discussions with the Rockies either, and he doesn’t know if he will.

Here are some of my opinions:
• I think the Rockies will begin talking with Arenado’s agent this spring for preliminary talks with the third baseman about a long-term deal. Will Arenado stay in Colorado? I honestly don’t know, and I’m not sure he does.
• I think LeMahieu is very likely playing his final season in Colorado. With Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon pushing for a major-league roster spot, LeMahieu becomes expendable – at least in the eyes of the Rockies’s front office.
• Before this strange offseason, I would have predicted the Blackmon would definitely explore the free-agent market and would likely play for another team next season. But the landscape has changed and I think that if the Rockies offer him a fair, three-year deal, he might take it. Remember, Blackmon turns 32 this summer.

Do you think that the young pitching staff be able to hold up for the whole season, and what are the Rockies doing about a first baseman.

— Harold Janssen, Broomfield

Harold, I have already discussed the first base situation, but I love your first question. It is one of the major keys to the season.

As I have written, I think this staff has the chance to be the best in franchise history.

“Has a chance…” is the key phrase. Last year, the Rockies needed to field only eight starters the entire season. That’s unusual for any major-league team, and especially so for the Rockies. I can’t imagine the team will be that fortunate this season.

So there are two major themes at play. First, do the Rockies have enough depth to withstand the attrition of the long season? I believe they do. Second, can the young pitchers – Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Jeff Hoffman, Antonio Senzatela and Tyler Anderson – improve on last year’s performance? As hitters adjust to them, can they counterpunch? I believe so, even though there will be some rough spots in the first half of the season. Bottom line: I think this rotation will be good enough to put the Rockies back in playoff contention.

Patrick, I wanted your thoughts on the slow offseason for free agents and the camp being held for those not signed to teams. Have you had a chance to chat with union head Tony Clark about the offseason and veteran players not signed?

Bob, Highlands Ranch

Bob, I have not talked with Tony this offseason. He typically makes a trip to every camp, but with the weird offseason, I don’t know if he will this year.

The MLBPA executive director visited Pirates camp Thursday, two days after news of the grievance regarding alleged misuse of revenue-sharing funds by the Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics and Miami Marlins became public. The grievance was the latest salvo in the escalating conflict between the union and the commissioner’s office, which also includes concerns about a slow free-agent market that has Jake Arrieta, Mike Moustakas, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn still without a job and rules imposed by commissioner Rob Manfred aimed at increasing the pace of the game.
“We also know that on any given year, there’s anywhere from 15, 20, 25 of those guys that are still having some challenges,” Clark said. “We just haven’t seen this, against the backdrop of the quality of the guys that are still out there, knowing those guys can help clubs while also being in a climate where it appears that there are clubs that aren’t necessarily looking to be helped.”

My opinion is this: While teams aren’t actively colluding to keep free-agent money down, I think there are definite tends at work here.
• Some of the big-market teams (Dodgers, Yankees) aren’t signing big-name free agent because they want to stay under the “luxury tax.”
• Teams are staying away from long-term deals because they are fearful of diminished returns on the back ends of those deals. The players, meanwhile, still want that long-term security.
• I think there is some backlash against super-agent Scott Boras, and now it’s a contest to see who will blink first. That’s hurting players like CarGo.
• A number of teams are tearing down and rebuilding. Some call it “tanking.” That’s also made it more difficult for some free agents to find a new home.

The NL West might be one of the best divisions in baseball this year. How do you see that division playing out? Could you see two wild card teams from the west?

— Aaron, Denver

Aaron, I agree with you that the NL West is best, but I don’t see three teams making the playoffs again like the Dodgers, D-backs and Rockies did last year. That’s because the teams are going to knock each other off on a regular basis, making wins difficult to come by. The Giants are going to be better this season, and so are the Padres.
That makes for a tough road.

Here is my early prediction: The Dodgers repeat as NL West champs and the Rockies get in via the wild card again.

Patrick, I am thinking about coming down to spring training for the first time in March. Can you give me your five best and worsts of spring training.

— Ashley, Littleton

Wow, I feel like a tour guide. This is not an easy assignment, but I’ll give it a try.

Five bests:
1. Scottsdale Stadium, spring home of the Giants. It’s my favorite Cactus League ballpark. It’s in downtown Scottsdale, it feels like and old-time park and the food and atmosphere are terrific.
2. Salt River Fields, home of the Rockies and D-backs. Easy parking, beautiful facility and excellent seating.
3. Frank and Lupe’s Mexican restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale. Great patio, tasty margaritas and good, affordable food. There are a lot of corporate restaurants in Scottsdale, but this is a family affair.
4. A visit to Taliesin West, the desert home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s a great tour.
5. Golf courses. They are everywhere and beautiful. But most of them are also pricey. I have played golf during spring training exactly once. I’m just too busy, or exhausted from chasing the Rockies around Phoenix. But if I were coming to spring training for a vacation, I’d play golf.

Five worsts:
1. Bell Road. If you happen to be on the far west side of the Phoenix area, perhaps heading to Surprise avoid Bell Road. It’s crowded, snarled with traffic and there is a stoplight on every block (or so it seems). Plus, it’s a concrete jungle with every chain restaurant ever invented.
2. I-10. It cuts through the heart of Phoenix and it rivals I-25 for inducing headaches and road rage.
3. In-N-Out Burger. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE In-N-Out. My waistline does not. It’s just too easy and tempting to order a double-double.
4. Drunk Giants and Cubs fans. They tend to congregate in downtown Scottsdale and it’s tough to say which group is more obnoxious.
5. Chemicals in hot tubs. I’m serious. The condos I stay at during spring training have great hot tubs and there’s nothing better than soaking under the desert stars after a long day. Except that the chemicals in the hot tubs always mess with my skin. (Too personal? Probably).

Patrick, what is going on with Todd Helton and some of the other fan favorites from years past? Are any former players visiting instructors during spring training?

— Cam, Fort Collins

Cam, Todd is back in his native Knoxville, Tenn. working with the University of Tennessee baseball program. I have not seen him at spring training since he retired. So far, I have not seen any former Rockies helping out this spring.

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders posts his Rockies Mailbag every other week on Tuesdays during the season and once per month during the offseason.